While many of Nashville’s new businesses are wonderful, I know I’m not alone in mourning some of the places we’ve lost. Many of you wrote in to tell me about the places you miss most from Old Nashville. Here they are, plus some from the City Cast Nashville team and our families.
🎡 Entertainment
Many of y’all emailed about the loss of our beloved amusement park. Opryland USA would also be at the top of my list; it was the subject of one of my first articles for City Cast Nashville! Now that I have a kid, I mourn the loss even more. To think, we traded an amusement park for a mall!!
But guess what: Opryland USA isn’t the only amusement park we’ve lost! My mom, Jan Kingsbury, loved going to Fair Park as a kid. It opened in 1952 at the Nashville Fairgrounds, and had a giant Ferris wheel and other fair rides. It closed in 1987.
Before it became the Adventure Science Center, the Nashville Children’s Museum was located in the historic Lindsley Hall, and opened in 1945. My mom describes it as “dark and mysterious and beautiful,” an enchanting place for kids. It changed buildings in 1974.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, going to see the Nativity exhibit at the Parthenon was a holiday tradition. My mom says this is what she misses most about old Nashville.
🍽️ Restaurants
Emily L. says J&J’s was “like a mini convenience store/coffee shop/wine bar with games, and it was open at night. It was a place you could go study, hang with friends, get a snack, etc that was casual and not strictly alcohol focused. Sometimes they had live music … it’s a part of old Nashville that I really miss!”
Katrina says, “We could walk there from our house and loved grabbing their sandwiches 🥪 and eating them at home. It was a complete shock when they closed suddenly without warning. Their food was so good, and they were always busy. I still think about that sandwich with the pesto and sundried tomatoes!”
Beth P. misses Jed’s: “It was a bar near Centennial Park. It had amazing fried pickles, bushwackers, and free foosball. There was close parking, a fun patio, and always had space without feeling empty or busy! It was simply the best.”
I know I’m not the only one who grabbed a sweet treat or lunch from this Hillsboro Village favorite. Dixie M. says her favorite order was the pesto turkey sandwich.
Marie says she went to Sunset Grill on special occasions, like her parents' anniversary or when she graduated high school. This Hillsboro Village restaurant closed after 24 years in 2015.
The Pineapple Room at Cheekwood served quintessential Southern fare, with fruit tea and chicken salad to die for! It opened in 1960 and closed in 2017.
This was my mom’s favorite restaurant. Located in Madison, the large round tables had a rotating lazy Susan in the middle, where all the dishes were placed. Mom loved the veggies!
🛍️ Shopping
Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Green Hills was likely Nashville’s best indie bookstore until it closed in 2010, but I also loved Bookstar, in the old Belle Meade Theater. My favorite days were when we’d hit up both!
I confess, I still sometimes forget this place is closed and find myself looking for it when I’m in Hillsboro Village. It was also one of podcast host Marie Cecile Anderson’s favorite places to shop.
Marie’s mom, Linda, loved this local institution, which closed last year after 50 years of serving Nashville’s crafters.
This all-ages music venue was only open from 1992-1998, but it became THE place for '90s punk-rock teens.
Stone Mountain was another ‘90s staple, especially for music nerds and hippies. It was the best place to get your band tees and Hacky Sacks.
